Computer games and simulators have introduced the term xe2x80x9cVirtual Realityxe2x80x9d to our vocabularies. Virtual Reality is the concept of viewing scenes in three dimensions giving the viewer the feeling of being in the scene. Many of the Virtual Reality Scenarios are done with imagery, with no dimensional or positional integrity.
On the other hand, in a real time simulator, the dimensional or positional integrity of an image can become very important. Indeed, if a simulator""s job is to simulate driving the Indy 500, then the track, wall locations etc. need to have the correct dimensions. The same is true if you want to play a simulated hole of Golf at Augusta, you would like the fairways and greens to have the look and feel of the real Golf Course.
Conventional survey techniques as well as Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS) surveys are unable to provide in a cost-effective manner information necessary to build images of a real object with positional integrity.
What is needed is a method for creating a Positional Reality scene of a plurality of real objects that represents a virtual reality scene of a plurality of real objects that has the correct positional information about real objects.
The present invention is novel and unique because it provides a method for creating a Positional Reality scene of a plurality of real objects that represents a virtual reality scene with the correct positional information about real objects.
The idea of this patent application is to combine a Positioning System, for instance, an RTK GPS, and a Scanning Laser Sensor (SLS) as a means to build images of surfaces of real objects cost effectively with preservation of correct positional information about the real objects.
One aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of generating at least one Positional Reality Image (PRI) of at least one real object using an integrated Positional Reality (PR) system comprising a Positioning System integrated with a Scanning Laser Sensor (SLS). Each Positional Reality Image (PRI) is generated as an image of one real object.
In one embodiment, the method comprises the following steps: (a) collecting data of each real object; and (b) storing the data.
The stored data can be utilized to generate one Positional Reality Image (PRI) of this real object.
In one embodiment, the step (a) of collecting data of one geometrical object in real time further includes the steps of: (a1) measuring a current position of the moving platform using the Positioning System (PS); and (a2) making current measurements of each point of the real object utilizing the Scanning Laser Sensor (SLS).
In one embodiment, the step (b) of generating the current Positional Reality Image (PRI) of one real object further includes the steps of: (b1) combining the real time data of the moving platform and the synchronized positional data of the real object; (b2) presenting the current Positional Reality Image (PRI) to the operator; and (b3) generating and presenting subsequent Positional Reality Images (PRI) of one real object as the operator navigates around the site.
In one embodiment, a plurality of Positional Reality Images (PRI) of each real object generated for each position of the moving platform can be stored in a database.
In one embodiment, the data stored in the database can be used to build a virtual image of each real object as a cloud of three-dimensional points covering the surface (painting the surface) of that geometrical object. In this embodiment, the cloud of three-dimensional points represents a laser photograph of the geometrical object.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of navigating around a real site using a database of three dimensional virtual objects, wherein each three dimensional geometrical virtual object comprises a three dimensional virtual image of one three dimensional real object.
In one embodiment, the method of navigating around the real site comprises the following steps: (a) generating the database of each three dimensional geometrical virtual object; (b) viewing the database of at least one three dimensional geometrical virtual object; and (c) navigating around the real site using each three dimensional geometrical virtual object stored in the database.
In this embodiment, the user can navigate around the real site in real time in complete darkness without using the night vision gear.
Yet, one more aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of identifying a three dimensional point on a three dimensional real object by utilizing a three dimensional Positional Reality Image (PRI) of the geometrical object;
In one embodiment, the method of identifying a three dimensional point on a three dimensional real object comprises the following steps: (a) generating the three dimensional Positional Reality Image (PRI); (b) generating a matching database, wherein each three dimensional point on the three dimensional real object is matched with a single three dimensional point on the three dimensional Positional Reality Image (PRI) of this geometrical object; (c) viewing the three dimensional Positional Reality Image (PRI); (d) selecting a three dimensional point on the three dimensional Positional Reality Image (PRI); and (e) identifying a corresponding three dimensional point of the three dimensional real object by using the matching database.